Blade honing device



' March 9, w48, N. B. ANDERSON v 2,431,495

` BLADE HONING DEVICE Filed Sept. l0, 1946 Fw- 7. n Jvwwwtov /V'eZ/hdersob Patented Mar. 9, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE BLADE HONING DEVICE Nels B. Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn. Application September 10, 1946, Serial No. 695,978

3 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to devices for association with the blades of knives and the like for assistance in the honing thereof, and in its more specific aspects, it relates to a device which is removably disposed on the blade of a knife or the like for properly positioning and angling the blade relative to a hone, so that a proper cutting edge will be obtained; and the nature and objects of the invention will be readily recognized and understood by those skilled in the arts to which it relates in the light of the following explanation and detailed description of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I at present believe to be the preferred embodiments and mechanical expressions of the invention from among various other forms, arrangements, combinations, and

constructions, of which the invention is capableV within the spirit and scope thereof.

The proper sharpening of knife and other blades on a stone or the like, is a difficult procedure for the novice and often results in dulling and marring the cutting edge of the blade. This is mainly due to the fact that it is extremely difcult to properly angle or position the blade relative to the hone or the stone, and to maintain such position during the honing operation, and it is therefore a primary object of my invention to provide a device for association with a blade which will positively insure that the blade when being sharpened is properly angled relative to the hone, to thereby produce a good sharp cutting edge.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for association with a blade to be honed which may be applied thereon in a variety of positons to thereby permit the angle of the blade relative to the hone to be adjusted to provide the type oi sharp cutting edge desired.

A further characteristic of this invention is to provide a device for association with a cutting blade to be honed, which may be so positioned on the blade to aid in sharpening the point of the blade, by properly angling the blade relative to the hone. y

And yet, another object of my invention is to provide a device for association with a cutting blade, which device is so formed and constructed that it may be disposed on the blade and removed therefrom with great facility, while iixedly applied to the blade during the operation of honing.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a device for removable attachment to various types and sizes of cutting blades.

With the foregoing general objects, features and results in View, as well as certain others which will be apparent from the following explanation, the invention consists in certain novel features and designs, construction, mounting and combination of elements, as will be more fully and particularly referred to and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the device in operative position on a knife blade.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the device.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the device in operative position on a knife for sharpening the longitudinal cutting edge thereof, the dotted lines illustrating the position of the device when adjusted on the blade for sharpening the point thereof. n

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the device in operative position on a knife blade.

Fig. 5 is an end view showing the device in operative position on a knife blade which is held in proper position against a hone or stone for blade sharpening.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the device in operative position on a knife blade.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the device of Fig. 2 of the drawings with a handle applied thereon for ease of manipulation.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the numeral I', to designate the device in its entirety, the device consisting of an elongated shield or clamp formed of any desirable type of spring metal so as to provide the necessary clamping action when applied to a cutting blade for properly angling or positioning the blade relative to a stone or hone. The device is preferably of one piece or integral construction and is designed to provide a pair of opposed clamping elements or jaws 3 and 5 which terminate at their lower 1ongitudinal edges in vertically fiat abutting portions 1, which, as will hereinafter be made clear, are adapted to engage and removably clamp a blade therebetween, when the device is in operative position on a blade. The opposite vertical ends or edges of the clamping elements are curved or arcuately shaped as at 9, and the top Il of the device is longitudinally slotted or split inwardly a distance at each end as at i3.

The clamping elements or jaws 3 and 5, are outwardly bowed to provide convex exterior hone contacting surfaces l5 for contact with the hone when the device is in operative position on a blade and the blade is being sharpened.

The device is applied to a blade to be sharpened on a hone or the like, by inserting the blade generally longitudinally of the device. This may be done either from the point end of the blade or from the rear end, the latter usually being the preferable mode of application. YIt will be evident that the curved or arcuate ends of the device assist greatly in the step of inserting the blade thereinto, for this particular construction and shaping of the device eliminates the usual angled corners through which the `clade would have to be inserted, for instance, if the ends 'of the device were squared, it would be extremelyq difficult to insert the blade at a corner of the device.

The jaw elements of the device must exert a relatively strongelamping action on the blade, so that the device will remain in the desired adjusted position thereon, during the honing operation, and thus it has been necessary to devise some means for at least partially overcoming or reducing such action in certain portions of the device in order to facilitate the separation of the jaws for insertion of a blade therebetween. I have provided, or built means into the device whereby such result is accomplished, without weakening or reducing the necessary clamping action of the jaws. The slots I3 which I have provided in each end of the longitudinal upper edge of the device serve to increase the exibility of the jaws at the opposite ends thereof, to thereby render them more easily iiexed or separable `when the device is being applied on a blade, that is, when a blade is being inserted at either end of the device. It will therefore be readily understood that by means of this particuuar slotted arrangement, the application of the device to a blade is made much easier, and the chances of slippage and resulting cutting or injury to the user are substantially reduced;

In Fig. 1, of the drawings, Ihave disclosed the device .I in operative position on the blade I1 ofl a'knife having a handle I9. While I have shown the device applied to one particular typ-e of blade and knife, it will be apparent that lit may be used and will serve its function when combined vwith a great variety of blades and knives. In Fig. 5, of the drawings, the device isillustrated in opel'- ative position on a blade which is 'being sharpened onV a hone 2i. Consideration of this figure of the drawings discloses that the longitudinal cutting edge 2'5 of the blade isy held at the proper angle .for sharpening by means of theconvex surface I5 of the clamping jaw lwhich is in positioning contact with the hone at the point 23, Now, the angle ofthe blade, and hence the cutting edge may be changed or adjusted by Varying the position of the device onthe blade. Thus, by adjusting the device up or down or tra-nsverselyof the blade in accordance with the arrows 21-2'I, in Figli, the angle of the bladerelative'to the hone will be varied and consequently the sharpened angle ofthe cutting edge will be varied. By constructing the device with this adjustable feature. I have provided simple and facile `means whereby the angle of the cutting edge ofthe blade may be varied by merely adjusting Vthe position ofthe device on the blade.

It is often desirable to sharpen the curved forward or point end 29 of a blade. As has heretofore been pointed out, the opposite ends of the clamping jaws are curved as at V9 in Iorder to assist in the application of the device to a blade to be sharpened. This curved construction serves the dual function of aiding in the application of the Ydevice and also in sharpening the point end of a blade. The curved portions9, conform generally to thecurvature of the end `of a blade and when it is desired to sharpen such blade end 29, the position of the device is adjusted relative to the lblade to assume the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The device is moved forwardly along the blade and the forward end thereof is pressed downwardly into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereupon the end or point of the blademay be sharpened. The angle regulating action of the device operates in Asubstantially the same manner as when the cutting edge is being honed. The forward end of the clamping jaw convex surface engages the hone and determines the angle of the point of the blade relative to the hone. It is also to be understood that the forward slot I3 assists in the action of point sharpening, for it permits the device to be adjusted into the angular position as shown, the top of the blade extending slightly into the slot. Without the slots I3, honing of the point would be impossible.

In using the appliance which has been described, the blade with the device applied thereto is drawn from one end of the hone to the other, and then the knife is turned over and the knife is brought back over the hone. As the sharpening process continues, the device is moved along the knife blade towards the point thereof.

It will Iof course, be recognized that the hone contacting surface I5, should be kept in contact with the Yhone in order to keep the blade angle constant.

In Fig. 7, of the drawings, I have shown a device-which is similar to that which has been described -with the exception that I provide a ,handle--3I, which may beV threaded into or otherwise secured -to the upper longitudinal surface I-I of the device. I have found that the handling of the device may be expedited by providing a handle.

l. A device'forapplication ,to a-blade for controlling the angle of the bladerelativetoa hone when being sharpened, includinga pair-of blade clamping jaws-.connected together-at the longitudinal upper edges thereof and having hone contacting surfaces `disposed 'outside the plane of the blade engaging `portions of the device, the upper longitudinal jaw connecting portionbeing inwardly slotted a distance from .each end thereof to provide flexibility ofthe ends. of the jaws for separation thereof.

2. VA. device for application to a blade forcentrolling the angle of the blade relative to a hone when being sharpened, including a pair of blade clamping jaws connected together .at the longitudinal upper edges. thereof and having hone contacting surfaces disposed outside the .plane of the blade engaging portions ofthe device, the upper longitudinal jaw connecting portion being inwardly slotted adistance fromeach end thereof, and a handle secured to said connecting portion between theslot-s.

3. A device for application to ablade for controlling the anglel of the. blade relative to. a hone when being sharpened, including a pair of rblade clamping jaws connected together at the longitudinal .upper edges thereof, and having hone contacting surfaces disposed outside the plane.

of the blade engaging portions of the device the opposite .ends of said jaws being curved, the upper longitudinal jaw connecting portion being inwardly slotteda distance from each end thereof to provide iiexibility of the ends of the jaws for separation thereof.

NELS B. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 905,638 Van Beust Dec. 1, 1908 1,612,323 Staats-Gels Dec. 28, 1926 1,990,246 Nelson Feb. `5, 1935 2,189,883 Connerat Feb. 13, 1940 

